Historical abuse: PSNI deputy to chair Stormont group

Image source, Pacemaker

A former PSNI deputy chief constable will lead a group looking into allegations of historical abuse.

Judith Gillespie will be the independent chair of the group set up by Stormont to examine Magdalene laundries, mother and baby homes and clerical child abuse.

These were not covered by the Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry, completed in 2017.

Ms Gillespie retired from the PSNI in 2014 after 32 years as an officer.

She has been appointed to the role by the Department of Health and the Executive Office. The appointment took effect from 1 June.

It is due to run for an initial period of one year, the Department of Health said in a statement.

'No further time to be lost'

Ms Gillespie said she was "honoured to have been appointed to this important role".

"I am keenly aware that the work of the group is approaching a crucial stage," she said.

Health Minister Robin Swann said that Ms Gillespie's "experience and leadership skills will be a major asset to the group".

Alliance Party health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw welcomed the appointment but said that "there is no further time to be lost in bringing forward recommendations for action".

"It has taken us far too long to get to where we are with historical institutional abuse and now we need real urgency on historical clerical abuse as well.

"We cannot, in either case, leave people who have lived their lives with trauma to continue to live without even recognition of their suffering."

Membership of the group includes representatives from the Executive Office, the Departments of Health, Justice, Education, Economy, Communities and the Departmental Solicitor's Office.